# Samuel Gawith - Skiff Mixture (My First Review)



## Kelsier (Feb 23, 2012)

This is my first tobacco review - many more to come.

I picked up a tin of Gawith's Skiff Mixture on a whim at a local B&M the other day. It was one of the few tinned tobaccos in stock, and I figured it being a Gawith blend, it couldn't be terrible. I had heard of the blend, but it didn't really seem like one that got too much mention in the SG lineup. I was sure surprised after I smoked my first few bowls of this blend.

Upon opening, the tin had a very pleasing aroma. There's a latakia presence, but it is very understated. Orientals really dominate this blend - a good change from the very heavy latakia blends I've been smoking lately. It has a quality that reminds me a bit of Presbyterian, which has been one of my go-to midday blends. The tobacco is a bit moist in a freshly opened tin, but nothing that a few minutes drying will not fix. On a side note - to anyone new to Samuel Gawith blends - make sure you move the tobacco over to a container with a good seal after opening, as these tins will dry out pretty quickly after opening.

This blend behaved very well while smoking. I smoked my first bowl in a Peterson bent bulldog. It stayed cool and only required one relight. Throughout the bowl, the thing that kept sticking out to me was how beautifully balanced of a smoke this is. If comparing it to other popular English blends, it may seem heavy in orientals. If you slow down and enjoy it though, the subtleties are utterly intoxicating. It is slightly sweet, slighty spicy, and has a wonderful creamy quality. I found the latakia to be a bit more apparent in the second half of the bowl, but it was still in the background. For me, this is the perfect midday smoke. It's very subtle and delicate, but is still complex enough to sit and ponder on a nice afternoon. It pairs well with tea - I had a cup of Yorkshire Gold black tea with it that complimented it well. I wouldn't drink coffee or liquor with this one though for fear of missing out on some of the more subtle aspects of this blend.

Susequent smokes were much of the same. It smoked really well in my MM Diplomat cob - again it stayed very cool, and stayed lit with very little effort on my part. This is one of the few tobaccos that I am able to smoke a bowl down to a nice ash without a single relight.
So my overall opinion - This is my new favorite midday blend. As for Samuel Gawith blends - I prefer this to Squadron Leader, and it is right on par with FVF depending on my mood. This blend is too delicate to be an evening smoke for me, but is currently my go-to blend when I'm not looking for an all out assault on my senses. This one will make you work for it, but it is a very rewarding process.


----------



## Zeabed (Apr 23, 2009)

Great review, very descriptive particularly for me, as I have several jars of Skiff which I haven't tried yet, but now look forward to do so. Thanks.


----------

